Furness was ordered to serve 365 days in county jail and five years formal felony probation. Gsell was ordered to serve 365 days in county jail and three years formal misdemeanor probation, according to a release from the Monterey County district attorney’s office. The couple were ordered to pay about $5 million in restitution to victims, including the state Franchise Tax Board. Furness and Gsell had each previously pleaded no contest to nine criminal charges.

Though never licensed by the Contractors State License Board, Furness and Gsell owned and operated a window installation and painting business using the names “windowdesign, inc.,” “Window Design” and “Fresh Paint,” prosecutors said. Illegally using contractor license numbers assigned to other persons, Furness and Gsell received more than $4 million in compensation from more than 600 Monterey County homeowners.

Furness and Gsell cheated on disability insurance, unemployment insurance and taxes due from an employer by underreporting their company’s payroll and number of employees to the Employment Development Department, prosecutors said.

Though an unlicensed contractor may not do so, Furness and Gsell’s company “windowdesign, inc.” recorded claims of lien and filed lawsuits, falsely and fraudulently alleging the company was licensed, and labor, materials and services had been delivered and performed, prosecutors said.

The couple also underreported income on tax returns for their company “windowdesign, inc.,” and also on income tax returns for themselves, for 2006, 2007 and 2008, prosecutors said. In addition, Furness and Gsell helped two workers in filing false income tax returns by providing the workers false Form 1099s, reporting less than all compensation the workers were in fact paid, prosecutors said.

District Attorney Dean Flippo commented, “The criminal activity of Furness and Gsell was pervasive, reaching their employees, more than 600 Monterey County homeowners, and at least six public offices, including the California Superior Court. Furness and Gsell tainted public records, including information on the Contractors State License Board public website, by filing and recording false and forged documents. In their pursuit of financial gain, Furness and Gsell cheated on taxes, forged documents, made false statements under penalty of perjury, and [im]personated licensed contractors.”

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